Thomas D Larson Transportation Institute

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Researchers link visibility and safety from roadway lighting

2/5/13

Driving at night is no picnic and can be fraught with danger, given the sometimes severe visibility limits and scarce reaction time. While roadway lighting can improve visibility at night and give drivers more response time to potential hazards, relating visibility from roadway lighting to nighttime driving safety has been limited by a shortage of data and lack of consideration of vehicle headlights.

To address this issue, Eric Donnell, associate professor at Penn State and faculty researcher at the University's Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, in collaboration with researchers at the Lighting Research Center, developed a unique parallel approach to lighting safety analysis.

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Penn State research helps build new Rothrock State Forest greenway

1/22/13

When a new greenway gives the Penn State community and area residents a direct access to Rothrock State Forest, the surface material will be a unique stone mix developed by researchers at the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute's Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies at Penn State. The Musser Gap Greenway, scheduled to open in the fall, will extend 1.4 miles from the Musser Gap parking lot northwest to Whitehall Road near Blue Course Drive.

Researchers at the center developed a specialized stone mix called Trail Surface Aggregate, or TSA, in response to the need for a stone mix for non-motorized use paths that resists erosion and is low maintenance. The designer of the greenway, Stahl Sheaffer Engineering LLC selected Penn State's TSA for the project.

PennDOT secretary to give transportation conference keynote

12/3/12

The 17th annual Transportation Engineering and Safety Conference will be held Wednesday to Friday (Dec. 5-7) at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

The event, hosted by the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, is free for Penn State faculty, students and staff. Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Barry Schoch, a 1982 civil engineering alumnus, will give the opening keynote address.

Professor of civil engineering named head of transportation institute

8/24/09

Martin Pietrucha, professor of civil engineering, has been named the director of the Thomas D. Larson Transportation Institute (LTI). Pietrucha had been serving as the LTI interim director since July 15 and has been a member of the Penn State faculty since 1990. He previously served as director of the Science, Technology and Society Program in the College of Engineering.

Tesla electric vehicles to recharge at Penn State during tour

7/14/09

A caravan of electric and renewable energy vehicles will make a pit stop at Penn State at 10 a.m. Friday, July 17, at the MorningStar solar home on the corner of Park Avenue and Porter Road. The Renew America Roadtrip, consisting of two 2009 Tesla Roadsters and a Nissan Altima hybrid chase vehicle, is crossing the country to spread the word about renewable energy and electric vehicles and to raise money for green charities.

Untitled

Researchers link visibility and safety from roadway lighting

2/5/13

Driving at night is no picnic and can be fraught with danger, given the sometimes severe visibility limits and scarce reaction time. While roadway lighting can improve visibility at night and give drivers more response time to potential hazards, relating visibility from roadway lighting to nighttime driving safety has been limited by a shortage of data and lack of consideration of vehicle headlights.

To address this issue, Eric Donnell, associate professor at Penn State and faculty researcher at the University's Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, in collaboration with researchers at the Lighting Research Center, developed a unique parallel approach to lighting safety analysis.

Untitled

Penn State research helps build new Rothrock State Forest greenway

1/22/13

When a new greenway gives the Penn State community and area residents a direct access to Rothrock State Forest, the surface material will be a unique stone mix developed by researchers at the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute's Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies at Penn State. The Musser Gap Greenway, scheduled to open in the fall, will extend 1.4 miles from the Musser Gap parking lot northwest to Whitehall Road near Blue Course Drive.

Researchers at the center developed a specialized stone mix called Trail Surface Aggregate, or TSA, in response to the need for a stone mix for non-motorized use paths that resists erosion and is low maintenance. The designer of the greenway, Stahl Sheaffer Engineering LLC selected Penn State's TSA for the project.

PennDOT secretary to give transportation conference keynote

12/3/12

The 17th annual Transportation Engineering and Safety Conference will be held Wednesday to Friday (Dec. 5-7) at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

The event, hosted by the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, is free for Penn State faculty, students and staff. Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Barry Schoch, a 1982 civil engineering alumnus, will give the opening keynote address.

Professor of civil engineering named head of transportation institute

8/24/09

Martin Pietrucha, professor of civil engineering, has been named the director of the Thomas D. Larson Transportation Institute (LTI). Pietrucha had been serving as the LTI interim director since July 15 and has been a member of the Penn State faculty since 1990. He previously served as director of the Science, Technology and Society Program in the College of Engineering.

Tesla electric vehicles to recharge at Penn State during tour

7/14/09

A caravan of electric and renewable energy vehicles will make a pit stop at Penn State at 10 a.m. Friday, July 17, at the MorningStar solar home on the corner of Park Avenue and Porter Road. The Renew America Roadtrip, consisting of two 2009 Tesla Roadsters and a Nissan Altima hybrid chase vehicle, is crossing the country to spread the word about renewable energy and electric vehicles and to raise money for green charities.